Evangelicals blast Paul on Israel

By BEN SMITH

02/03/2011 08:14 AM EST

Pastor John Hagee, the pro-Israel megachurch leader whose eschatological views on Israel got John McCain in a bit of trouble in 2008, took aim at Senator Rand Paul this morning, for Paul's plan to cut aid to Israel -- and said his group has flooded Paul's office with appeals o the topic.

“I do not believe that the Senator’s comments are representative of the Tea Party or the wider American public. [Christians United for Israel's] members and leaders have met on several occasions with Tea Party leaders and elected officials; throughout our meetings, Tea Party leaders consistently expressed their commitment to supporting Israel’s qualitative military edge in the Middle East,” said Hagee in a press statement.

The executive director of the Chistian group, David Brog, said the groups members are concerned about the "strategic and moral implications of Sen. Paul’s recent statement."

The group said an alert to its members yesterday had produced more than 22,500 emails to Paul's office, including hundreds from Kentucky.